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Rory McIlroy is loving the new changes the PGA Tour is about to undergo. These changes won't take place this year, but they already have at least one major supporter.
The upcoming season will feature eight "Designated" events. These will have fields of up to 78 players competing for large prize purses and FedExCup points.
They also won't have a 36-hole cut, which guarantees that all top players will be competing in all four rounds. No one will be sent home early.
These Designated events will be added to and not replace the majors, THE PLAYERS and the three FedExCup Playoffs events.
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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed these changes in a memo via PGA Tour:
“These smaller, Designated event fields will not only deliver substantial, can’t-miss tournaments to our fans at important intervals throughout the season, but they will also enhance the quality of Full-Field events. Together, this approach provides a schedule that is cohesive, compelling, consequential and with clarity for fans, players and sponsors alike.”
McIlroy didn't hold back his positive feelings:
“I love it. I think it makes the TOUR more competitive. … I'm all about rewarding good play.”
McIlroy has long been a proponent of redesigning the PGA Tour. This was something that Phil Mickelson wanted and is a reason he joined the LIV Golf league.
Perhaps it's already improving the state of golf for everyone, especially if this decision was influenced by the rebel tour in any way.
The PGA Tour has undergone a few changes recently, and it seems as if it's moving in a good direction. At least, Rory McIlroy, who was recently the world's top ranked golfer, seems to think so.
Rory McIlroy wants to reward top players
As evidenced by his statement in response to the new format that Jay Monahan announced, Rory McIlroy wants to reward top players on the Tour and he has an idea on how to do it.
Via Outkick, McIlroy thinks the NBA has the perfect model when it comes to that idea. They have a well-run league and McIlroy wants to emulate it. He said:
“If you have a product that this year is forecasted to do $2 billion in gross revenue, you’re trying to grow that product as much as possible."
The 33-year-old believes NBA is very centered on its stars and it helps the lower players in turn.
“If you look at the NBA’s trajectory over the last 20 years, they’ve built that league around their best players and their stars, not around the 12th guy on the team. But because they’ve built that league up around the stars, the 12th guy on the team does way better than he used to. So that’s sort of the way I’ve been trying to tell it.”
The NBA rewards stars like Steph Curry and LeBron James and as a result of the growing salary cap, role players end up getting more. This is how McIlroy wants to see the PGA Tour operate, and the new Designated events might be a big step in that direction.
